


crush culture

by orphan_account



Category: TOMORROW X TOGETHER | TXT (Korea Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Christmas, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Moving In Together, Mutual Pining, Not Beta Read, Polyamory, Winter Break, background sookai, established beomjun, eventual taegyujun, raising a pet together, taegyujun nation deserves more fics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-07
Updated: 2020-07-07
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:20:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,077
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25132279
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: taehyun temporarily adopts a stray cat, who he names hobak, before their college lets out for winter break. yeonjun and beomgyu end up staying on campus to lend the younger a helping hand, dropping everything in the process.anything in the name of love is the saying, right?
Relationships: Choi Beomgyu/Choi Yeonjun, Choi Beomgyu/Choi Yeonjun/Kang Taehyun, Choi Beomgyu/Kang Taehyun, Choi Soobin/Huening Kai, Choi Yeonjun/Kang Taehyun
Comments: 8
Kudos: 136





	crush culture

“whipped,” kai whispers in beomgyu’s ear. beomgyu almost jumps three feet in the air at the sudden intrusion, scared out of his daydream. consequently, he knocks into yeonjun’s skull with his elbow, as the older boy was resting his head on beomgyu’s arm.

“ow!” yeonjun cries out, rubbing the top of his head. beomgyu pats it gently as a means of apology, before glaring at huening kai, who is laughing hysterically.

“oh, that was too good!”

“you’re such a nuisance, yeonjun was trying to sleep,” beomgyu mutters, but his attempt at intimidation is futile. kai is fully aware of how soft his friends are for him.

huening kai glances around the room, gaze flickering until it lands on taehyun, who is standing in the kitchen, a good twenty feet away. he and soobin are trying to unload bags of snacks for their group movie night, held at soobin’s childhood home, since his parents lived in the same town as the college they all attended. when kai deems those two to be too far away to hear his next statement, he continues.

“no, he was trying to gaze at taehyun subtly, while you were openly gawking. i can’t tell which is more pathetic,” kai whispers. beomgyu gasps in mock offense, while yeonjun reaches over to smack the younger boy on the shoulder.

“what, it’s true!” huening kai guffaws, earning stronger hits from the couple, who are seated on the couch. beomgyu ends up throwing a pillow, earning a squawk of indignance from kai that has soobin turning around to walk over, and taehyun soon follows.

“what are you doing to my boyfriend?” soobin asks, wrapping his arms around the youngest boy. kai snuggles further into soobin, the two easily slotting together. they were just made for each other like that, and everyone knew it.

“absolutely not. i am not doing this. i shall retreat back to the food where i am wanted,” taehyun jokes, looking at the two couples in front him, before running back into the kitchen where they left the snacks that they were supposed to bring out.

“oh, if only he knew,” kai sing-songs as taehyun’s figure disappeared behind the pantry door. this time, he earns a slap from all three of the boys sitting around him. kai turns to soobin with a startled cry.

“hey, you’re supposed to be on my side! these two are being fools, missing out on a chance.”

“they are idiots, but you’re supposed to encourage them gently so they don’t get scared and run away.”

“we aren’t animals, you know,” yeonjun pipes up.

“i don’t know, you’ve shown some furry tendencies,” beomgyu retorts. he earns a long glare from yeonjun for that joke.

soobin quickly gets back up to go help taehyun, leaving kai to pester yeonjun and beomgyu some more. it was a part of their friendship dynamic now, only kept a secret from taehyun, that yeonjun and beomgyu were crushing hard on the younger boy.

see, yeonjun and beomgyu were inseparable. the duo became best friends during their freshman year of college, a time when yeonjun joined a club for volunteer work midway through the second semester, merely because he thought the silver-haired boy handing out the flyers was cute. yeonjun proceeded to spill some of his lemon-lime soda on beomgyu during the next club meeting, as the silver-haired boy happened to take the seat next to him. yeonjun was absolutely mortified to have embarrassed himself like that, but beomgyu took it all in stride. since the two coincidentally share the same major in dance, yeonjun and beomgyu became fast friends, and naturally progressed into their relationship (beomgyu made the first move by asking yeonjun out on a date for dinner while the two were studying in the library, a fact he’ll never let the older boy live down). however, they weren’t the only duo in their friend group to get together, with huening kai and soobin following a couple of years later when they met. beomgyu and soobin were childhood friends, and the two of them plus yeonjun were attached at the hip for the first two years of college (a period of time that soobin spent constantly third wheeling, which was something he always made sure to bring up when yeonjun and beomgyu would tease him and kai for being so affectionate). the beginning of their junior year is when soobin meets huening kai, a sophomore who he shared an 8 A.M. history class with (although the older boy can not wake up to save his life, he does so now just to see his boyfriend. taehyun calls it cute, yeonjun calls it disgusting, and beomgyu merely refers to it as "whipped culture"). when soobin immediately falls for the younger boy, kai seamlessly joins the group. once the two officially start dating, the most significant event occurs (in the eyes of yeonjun and beomgyu, at least), because kai promptly brings his own best friend along to join the four of them. his best friend in question is taehyun.

and that’s where everything starts.

see, taehyun was perfect (kai laughed hysterically the one time that beomgyu expressed this idea out loud, but the undeterred silver-haired boy just shushed him). like kai, taehyun is a sophomore, one year younger than the eldest three of their group. he double majors in vocal performance and education, planning on becoming a music teacher of some sort after college. he volunteers at local animal shelters on the weekends, babysits for a number of consistent clients, and works at a cafe (something yeonjun gushes about constantly to beomgyu, noting how hot it is for someone to be a barista and make great coffee. beomgyu takes great offense to that notion, because the coffee machine in their apartment was a menace to figure out and he’s not the only one who has problems with it! plus, taehyun doesn’t even like coffee). the younger boy also has a terribly sarcastic sense of humor and brims with sharp wit, while still managing to be one of the most loving individuals in their friend group. everyone adores him (beomgyu, being no exception to this rule, once dramatically expresses to his friends that taehyun and yeonjun were the two model men of the universe. in beomgyu's eyes, they were merely the standard that everyone else in the world had to try to live up to. soobin then rolls his eyes and tells beomgyu that he's already heard the speech once so far that week, begging the silver-haired boy to focus so they could study for their winter finals).

according to the laws of the universe, as recited by choi beomgyu, taehyun lacks flaws (both objectively and subjectively), gravity makes objects fall towards the surface of the earth, and finally, he and yeonjun 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 like taehyun. while the couple had both previously expressed a willingness to try polyamorous relationships, the situation had never seemed fit until now. however, now that it’s the right time, beomgyu finds it tragically ironic how him and his boyfriend have become complete disasters. two boys who pride themselves on being free-flowing risk takers are this nervous over a boy, but it’s kang taehyun, and neither yeonjun nor beomgyu can blame themselves when he’s the person of interest.

as soobin and taehyun emerge from the kitchen for the final time, carrying packages of snacks, yeonjun rushes over to help the pair (mostly taehyun, even if he doesn’t need it. the small boy is carrying three bowls and a bag with a decent sense of stability, while soobin is wobbling trying to do the same, despite all the extra arm space he possesses. natural selection did taehyun well, beomgyu notes), despite their protests that they are fine. the three of them arrange the snacks on the coffee table while kai and beomgyu set up blankets and pillows on the floor. previously, beomgyu and yeonjun sat overlapping in the room's loveseat while kai and soobin stretched themselves all over the couch. taehyun had promptly claimed the floor for himself, which soobin always set up with cushions. however, once “operation: taegyujun” is coined by huening kai, beomgyu and yeonjun are forced off of their loveseat and onto the floor by an overeager couple in sookai. however, the two of them can not complain in the slightest about this new arrangement. while taehyun isn’t super big on initiating acts of physical affection, he remains more than willing to receive them. so when yeonjun casually slides an arm around taehyun’s shoulders halfway through their viewing of frozen 2, the younger boy doesn’t even flinch. in fact, a bleary taehyun merely cuddles further into the embrace of his friend.

“i envy you,” beomgyu mouths at yeonjun, the corner of his lips curling up into a pleasant smile. yeonjun giggles quietly, trying not to disturb the sleeping boy. it’s the last week before winter break, and for college students, this time of year brings the great pain of finals. it's the final hurdle they must jump over before they can finally go home and have a real vacation. all of the five boys have been incredibly exhausted, which is what led soobin to invite them all over for one last night of fun, trying to ensure that all of them don't lose grip on their sanity before the most influential week of the semester. however, taehyun hadn’t been sleeping very well in favor of studying for the past few days, leading him to fall asleep during the middle of one of his favorite movies. still, yeonjun is more than happy to be the younger boy’s pillow. eventually, they're all asleep, sprawled out across soobin's living room.

\--

“okay, hear me out before you tell me that i’m being stupid,” taehyun announces when he walks up to his friends, who have settled down at a picnic bench on campus. it was the first day of finals, but all of them were fortunate enough to not have one scheduled that monday, so they decided to have lunch together.

“well, that’s reassuring,” soobin replies. taehyun rolls his eyes good-naturedly, but then starts speaking again.

“okay, so...i might have gotten a cat.”

everyone at the table freezes, but the silence is brief as it transforms into an array of questions.

“what?”

“where are you keeping it? at the dorms?”

“isn’t that not allowed?”

“what is it’s name?”

“that’s your concern, kai?”

“let me live soobin.”

taehyun hushes them easily. “to answer your questions, i haven’t named him yet, and i’m keeping him in the dorms for now. yes i know it’s not allowed, but it’s only temporary! just for winter break, i promise. all of the shelters nearby are on holiday already, so i just need to keep him until after new year's day and then i will let him go," taehyun finishes, putting on his best puppy eyes for his friends. “please come with me to the pet store before you all leave and help me figure out what to buy for this kitten of mine.”

“where did you find it?” soobin interjects.

“in an alleyway behind the cafe. i checked for a collar or name tag, and there was nothing. his leg was injured, i had to do something! so i took him to the vet, where they couldn’t find a chip or tracker, but they healed him, and then i brought him home. i will give him to the shelter so they can find his home, i just need to wait for when they open back up. but until then, i need to get him some supplies. now, will someone please drive me?” taehyun pleads.

it’s not fair, yeonjun decides, that taehyun looks as if he holds entire galaxies in those starry eyes of his. they make his knees weak, and yeonjun is buckling without a second thought. “i’ll take you, taehyungie.”

taehyun runs around the table to where yeonjun is sitting, jumping a little in glee. “thank you, thank you, you’re the best.”

“wait, i want to come too,” beomgyu says, standing up. taehyun grabs onto his wrist as well. “the more the merrier, come on!” he exclaims, running towards the parking lot as yeonjun gathers his keys. beomgyu chases after the younger boy, and yeonjun watches them fondly as they go.

“wow, sometimes i forget that your type is children--” soobin starts, but yeonjun gives a pointed look to the fluffy-haired youngest that is pressed against his side. “okay, fair point. enjoy your hellish car ride.”

yeonjun sticks his tongue out before racing to catch up with his boyfriend and taehyun.

beomgyu grabs the aux cord first and immediately puts on a playlist of old girl group songs, so he and taehyun have a blast singing along on the car ride over to the closest petsmart. taehyun scrolls through his notes app in search of the list of items he intends on buying, mouthing the words to twice’s “what is love?”, and beomgyu is overcome with the sudden realization that his friend is incredibly kissable. because taehyun just looks incredible like this, the way he always does when he gets excited about a task. it doesn't help that his passion is complemented by those breezy soft brown locks of his (yeonjun liked to keep the windows down and mess up his friends’ hair while driving, that fucker), his full pink lips, and wide, intense eyes. beomgyu can’t help but think about how stunning his best friend is, how much he’d like to hold his hand (not platonically like they always do, but in a different way), take him out on dates, and kiss him breathless. beomgyu tries and fails to focus on the items taehyun is reading out until the younger boy suddenly looks up, glancing out the front window to gauge how far away they are from the store, and catches the other’s gaze. taehyun turns, and just looks right back at beomgyu, a smile stretching across his lips, and beomgyu was _definitely_ a goner.

he catches yeonjun’s tender gaze through the front mirror, whose expressive eyes hold all the affection in the world, and beomgyu has really never felt more loved. he has his two best friends here, the two people he loves more than anything.

he and yeonjun had always been on the same wavelength, grooving to the same song for years on end. beomgyu can only hope that taehyun begins to hear the melody, and joins them.

\--

once taehyun gets his supplies, he disappears for a few hours, spending the next few days studying relentlessly for exams and trying to chase around his new pet. the only updates yeonjun and the rest get are few and far between, mostly consisting of photos of hobak (who was the cutest cat yeonjun had ever seen) doing things like jumping on top of the refrigerator. it's truly hectic, but taehyun falls into those prideful tendencies of his and doesn’t ask for any help, because of course he doesn’t. when he shows up two days later, he just offhandedly mentions to his friends that he’s not going home for winter break as the five of them eat dinner. it's the thursday before everyone is set to go home, so taehyun, soobin, and beomgyu had all finished their finals while kai and yeonjun still had one to go. they are all sporting some serious dark circles, haunted by the memories of their exams (and the exams some of them still have to take), but as a group, the five of them resolve to only discuss the positives like their eventual freedom from campus. well, except for taehyun.

“wait, i thought you said you were going to take the cat home over christmas?” yeonjun inquires, worry seeping in his tone. taehyun doesn’t seem to notice though, as the boy is picking at the bowl of noodles on the table before him.

“no, i’m taking care of hobak over christmas but…i’m not going home,” taehyun quietly answers, shoveling a forkful of food into his mouth.

“aren’t you going to miss your parents?” soobin asks, setting down his chopsticks.

taehyun is quiet for a bit, but gives the four of them a wry smile. “yeah, i am. but they already sent me some money as a present so it’s okay. i’ll see them...soon. and besides, this way i won’t have to worry about how hobak responds to travel.”

despite taehyun’s attempt to lighten the situation, yeonjun doesn’t feel completely assured, and he thinks the others feel the same way based on kai’s uneasy expression. so, he decides to press. “would you like some help with hobak then? it doesn’t seem right to leave you here alone with a new kitten.”

taehyun waves yeonjun off quickly. “no, no, i’ll be okay.”

“the scratches on your hand say otherwise,” he notes.

the younger boy blushes fiercely, a sheepish expression crossing his features. “hobak and i are still getting to know each other.”

“come on, taehyun. let me help,” beomgyu steps in, prodding further. he and yeonjun share a glance, conveying their thoughts to one another in a nonverbal way. it's a skill they've perfected in the last one and a half years of their relationship.

“aren’t you going home though?” taehyun asks. beomgyu and yeonjun meet eyes again, answering each other's question. beomgyu is the one who speaks up.

“...no,” he lies, ignoring the questioning look soobin was giving him. beomgyu was in fact supposed to go see his family, but then again, they only lived an hour away from campus. this was important, and he could just road trip to his parents' place next weekend!

taehyun stares at him inquisitively. “oh...well if you say so. you guys can come over to my dorm and help me take care of hobak. i’d love to have you.”

“what if you live in the apartment that week?” yeonjun suddenly proposes. that's the thing about him and beomgyu, they're a package deal and everyone knows it. when one does something, the other will soon follow, because they just trust one another that much. “campus will be pretty blocked off with everyone gone for the next few weeks. if we’re going to take care of this cat, might as well be living in the same place.”

“uh….” taehyun turns to beomgyu tentatively.

yeonjun just rolls his eyes pleasantly. “beomgyu would sleep next to the dumpster for you. he’d love to have you.” beomgyu, biting at his noodles, nods in agreement.

“oh...well if it’s not too much of a bother,” taehyun trails off.

“trust me, it’s not. think of this as my christmas gift to you, you get to be in my presence for longer,” yeonjun remarks, lightening the mood at the table. he exhales when soobin and kai stop staring at him with those calculating gazes of theirs (as the other couple knew of beomgyu and yeonjun's christmas plans, because they had all discussed presents with one another extensively, but in secret of course, to not spoil the surprise for their boyfriend).

“yah, what about me!” beomgyu exclaims, swatting at his yeonjun. that sets taehyun off giggling. as the younger boy laughs, his eyes crinkle, revealing the dimple in his left cheek as he watches the two.

“how come i feel like i’m third wheeling?” kai jokes, pulling on taehyun's sleeve with one hand to get the smaller boy's attention. when taehyun relents and opens his phone, kai starts going through his camera roll, searching for more videos of hobak.

“okay but you are literally holding onto soobin with your other hand as we speak,” beomgyu deadpans, eliciting a loud laugh from soobin. an unbothered kai continues to scroll on taehyun's phone.

the five of them keep munching on their ramen, savoring the last lunch break they will spend together before christmas break. however, the longer yeonjun thinks, and stares at the angry red marks marring the skin of taehyun’s left arm, he can’t help but wonder what exactly he just got himself into. did he just sign himself up to become a full time scratching post?

yeonjun looks over at where taehyun and beomgyu are sitting, the two boys hunched over beomgyu’s phone as they watch some sort of animal crossing walkthrough (they had an unhealthy obsession, one so bad that kai had to hide taehyun’s switch one day to stop him from playing and study for his exams, while yeonjun went as far to threaten and withhold kisses from beomgyu if he didn’t take a break to eat a meal rather than decorate his island, god damn). they are starry eyed, enraptured with the video, and yeonjun can’t think of a better image. he’ll take the chance of becoming new prey for hobak if it meant he could wake up to the sight of these two for a few weeks.

\--

“let me get this straight...you guys cancelled any and all plans you had to go home so that you could hang out with taehyun and his demon cat for the entirety of winter break?” soobin asks later that day when they are video chatting.

“correct!” beomgyu exclaims happily. yeonjun, from where he's sitting in the living room, studying for his last exam, can hear the way soobin rolls his eyes with exasperation.

“you two are ridiculous.”

“listen, it’s either i return home and see my parents, whom i love, but also deal with the hoards of distant relatives asking me if i’ve found a girlfriend even when i’ve literally brought yeonjun with me before, or i stay and help taehyun with his cute cat,” beomgyu points out.

“my hunch is that the cute boy is more important to you than the cute cat.”

“irrelevant.”

“hey, my parents were cool with it. they understand the grind, and yeonjun does too,” beomgyu says, plopping down next to his boyfriend on their couch and snuggling into his side. the older boy easily wraps an arm around beomgyu's shoulders, pressing a soft kiss to his exposed forehead.

soobin retches in the background. “i forgot how much i absolutely hate going on facetime with you two. you have been in the honeymoon phase since freshman year. stop it.”

"oh, go back to your boyfriend. let us be."

"i will. i will go happily, in fact," soobin grins. "good luck you two. enjoy your time with hyun. i believe in you. also, try not to get scratched by hobak."

yeonjun gasps mockingly. "is this soobin supporting us? did i hear that right? are you giving us a green light to go ahead with our antics?"

another eye roll. "unfortunately so. i'm tired of your pining. love you guys, you can do this," and he clicks off the line.

\--

taehyun moves in that sunday, holding a small duffel bag in one hand and his cat carrier in the other, looking sheepish when beomgyu opens the door. "hi."

"hi, hyun," the silver-haired boy smiles prettily. "let's get you set up. yeonjun is out buying groceries."

they set up taehyun in the guest bedroom, which was beomgyu's old room. taehyun places hobak's carrier down on the floor next to the bed he will be sleeping in for the next week, as beomgyu shuffles around the room, fluffing the pillows and searching for extra blankets in the linen closet attached to the room. eventually, when everything is settled, they let hobak roam free. for the first day, hobak is cautious, body tense as he walks around the apartment, sniffing around. he warms up to beomgyu and yeonjun pretty quickly, specifically yeonjun who lets him onto his bed and cuddles with him for an hour on that first day. taehyun explains to the couple that hobak's started to trust people easier after living with him for the past week and dealing with kai's constant visits. with hobak adjusting fairly well, the three of them spend the first few days basically engaging in a giant sleepover of sorts. even though they all have rooms, they end up falling asleep on the couch on more than one occasion. beomgyu wakes up one morning, after they all fell asleep in the living room while watching some k-drama yeonjun liked, to find hobak sleeping on his chest. yeonjun and taehyun are standing above them, cooing quietly as they snap pictures. beomgyu glares at them momentarily but turns back to the kitten, eyes going soft. the domesticity of the moment really sells beomgyu, as he glances up to see taehyun taking a photo with his polaroid with yeonjun standing next to the smaller boy, hand curled around his bicep. beomgyu realizes that he could really get used to this, wanted this kind of thing to become his everyday life, but taehyun didn't know how they felt and hobak was going to have to leave for the shelter before they knew it. he resolves to merely enjoy what they have going on, especially with hobak being so precious and providing them all with something to dote on.

but of course, the peace in the household doesn't last long, especially not with a new kitten in the mix.

one afternoon, yeonjun, taehyun, and beomgyu return to the apartment with smoothies in hand, ones they bought from a nearby shop on their way home, only to find scraps of fabric littering the floor. taehyun is the first to enter and therefore the first to notice, releasing a quiet gasp as he takes in the sight.

“oh my god,” the shortest boy states, setting down his smoothie on the coffee table, before beginning to run around.

“hobak, where are you?” taehyun calls, moving from door to door. beomgyu places down his drink as well and goes to help taehyun, while yeonjun starts cleaning up the mess in the living room. still, beomgyu notices that the trail of fabric isn’t confined to one space. instead, it leads down the hallway and into their guest bedroom. there, beomgyu finds taehyun crouching under the bedside table, trying to coax hobak from out under the mattress frame. the kitten had clearly gotten to the bedsheets, which were torn beyond repair with all the claw marks in them. beomgyu goes to the other side of the bed, and with his help, taehyun manages to get the cat out of his hiding spot.

“oh my god, hobak. why would you do that?” taehyun asks, cradling the cat to his chest. he turns to beomgyu with wide, apologetic eyes. “i’m so sorry, oh my god. i’ll pay you guys back for those sheets-”

“taehyun, you don’t ha-”

“no, you’re already letting me live here and helping, it’s the last i can do. oh my god. i am so sorry. i should have put him in his carrier before we left,” taehyun says without stopping for a breath. beomgyu, noticing his panic, puts a hand on his shoulder to calm him down.

“it’s okay, hyun. this is the first time something bad has happened. we couldn’t have expected it to go perfect, that would be naive of us. hobak is still young.”

“ugh,” taehyun mutters, gripping hobak a little closer to his chest. “i can not believe he did that.”

“it’s okay. i’m not mad. and yeonjun-”

“yeonjun what? oh,” yeonjun says, stopping when he spots the rumpled, cut-up white bedsheets and a glassy-eyed taehyun holding his cat, with beomgyu’s hands placed delicately on his shoulders. “taehyun, it’s okay. we’ll just get new ones. you know i’ll take any excuse to go to the mall. please do not cry,” yeonjun says, coming closer to the duo. he rests his head on beomgyu’s shoulder, and beomgyu leans into the touch while still patting taehyun’s back.

“yeah, let’s go shopping tomorrow. i needed an extra pot for the kitchen anyways.”

“you mean i needed one-” yeonjun starts, stopping and putting his hands up in mock defense when beomgyu shoots him a glare. “woah, okay, nevermind.”

taehyun looks less uptight now, holding hobak at his eye-level as he talks to him. "why'd you do that, baby?" he asks in a small voice, blinking owlishly at the kitten, who just stares right back. they both share the same wide, doe-eyed look. yeonjun thinks he feels his knees buckle. beomgyu, who is sitting on the bed, notices and snorts a little bit.

the three of them spent the next five minutes wrestling a vacuum cleaner out of the hall closet, one that yeonjun's mother had bought him and beomgyu as a moving in present of sorts. once they get it out, it's smooth sailing from there. taehyun takes control, grabbing the machine and sucking up all of the little pieces of cloth that hobak scattered all over the home. yeonjun and beomgyu start cooking dinner in the kitchen before taehyun comes to join them, settling himself down on one of the stools.

"is there cat insurance?" beomgyu asks out of the blue while chopping the cucumber he's holding. his question leads taehyun and yeonjun to raise an eyebrow at him, their laughs echoing throughout the kitchen, to which beomgyu just continues on. "what? maybe we could get like, tax returns, for the stuff he damaged!"

\--

“kai, how am i not dead?”

“i don’t know taehyun, because it’s literally been CENTURIES SINCE YOU STARTED CRUSHI-”

taehyun holds the phone away from his ear. “you are going to blow out my eardrum.”

“you have already dwindled mine from all this talk about ‘yeonjun is so cool’ and ‘beomgyu is so handsome’ and, oh, let’s not forget, ‘i just want to be their friend...their boyfriend’ for the last few months.”

“i’m not that bad.”

“a lack of self-awareness is a sin.”

“you’re not even christian?”

“the devil is inside us all. now, explain to me again why exactly you can’t seem to confess to two boys who literally adore you with their entire beings?”

taehyun sighs. “listen, i don’t even know--”

“if they’re gay? seems like they are.”

“shut up, kai. if they’re cool with...you know, polyamory.”

“it’s the twenty first century taehyun. and you know beomgyu and yeonjun, and they’re the most compassionate people on this planet. even if it's not something they are interested in or willing to try, they won’t judge you. they'll just try to understand, and that's enough.”

“i know……..at least, i think i do. i feel bad. i believe in them but i somehow don’t believe that they’ll accept what i feel--” taehyun trails off. he hears huening kai shuffle on the other end of the line.

“taehyun, listen, they will. even if they don’t feel the same way, and i would bet everything that they do, they will hear you out and love you just the same afterwards. i promise.”

“thanks, kai. god...they’re so sweet. i felt awkward about living in their home at first but they’re just so welcoming and hobak loves them, well, after he ripped up a pair of their sheets, that is. i still think he loves them more than he loves me though,” taehyun remarks.

“him and i both.”

taehyun gasps in mock offense. “that was uncalled for.”

“the truth hurts, hyunnie. now, i have to go downstairs soon because my parents are hosting this christmas cocktail party slash dinner with their friends, and i'm being forced to attend. i literally still can't drink anything though so i'm going to probably end up sulking and texting soobin the entire time.”

"sounds so exciting," taehyun deadpans, but he feels for his friend. they've all been there.

"definitely. i can't wait," kai matches taehyun's sarcastic tone. "i'll talk to you later, taehyun. don't hold back. i love you."

"love you too," taehyun answers, hanging up with a sigh. he flops back onto his bed, turning his head to look at the two bags, christmas presents, that he left next to the radiator. they are filled with things he bought for yeonjun and beomgyu, the two sweetest boys. god, taehyun did not know what he would have done without them during these last few days. keeping a kitten in the dorms would have been an absolute nightmare, and he's extremely grateful to have successfully avoided that situation with their help. yeonjun and beomgyu were like that, always being the most giving people.

they've given taehyun so much throughout their years of friendship, so many favors, so much time, so much love. having them in his life has made taehyun a better person all around, he knows that. so sometimes, taehyun wonders if he's selfish for wanting more, wanting them to love him in a new way.

\--

it's christmas when the dam breaks, and suddenly everyone's feelings are rushing forward, out into the open. beomgyu didn't think he'd be spending this christmas holed up in his tiny college apartment, boyfriend and best friend/crush by his side, but he wouldn't have it any other way.

fittingly, it snows on christmas. not a lot, but just the tiniest dusting (a fact that yeonjun mildly grumbles about, wishing for the opportunity to go sledding or do something more fun than scraping ice off of the car windows) that helps get everyone into the holiday spirit just a bit more. the trio exchange gifts and receive thank you calls from soobin and kai, who had gotten their presents in the mail. there's a moment where taehyun stares at the ceiling, willing himself not to cry at the charm bracelet gift he gets from the two of them, and another where beomgyu shoves his face behind a pillow in order to hide the way his eyes are welling with tears after receiving a custom electric guitar pick, a record player, and a stack of journals. yeonjun actually cries, not quick enough to hide his tears after receiving a scrapbook (a fucking scrapbook, god beomgyu was going to be the death of him) and a set of earrings he had been eyeing.

after they wrap up their gift giving, the three of them retreat into different sections of the house for most of the morning, busying themselves with various chores they have to do on the holiday since they aren't there in person with their families. each one of them calls their parents and siblings, starts writing thank you letters, and complete other tasks before they all gather for lunch. a similar pattern occurs before dinner, but after finishing up their last meal, beomgyu requests that they watch a hallmark movie. everyone easily agrees, and suddenly, it's 10 PM and they're all sitting on the couch so close to one another that they are basically overlapping. yeonjun squeaks out a cry of surprise when beomgyu pounces on him, and the silver-haired boy pulls taehyun along with him. suddenly, the oldest boy's lap is being used as a pillow by both a giggling beomgyu and taehyun. beomgyu turns over so that he can face taehyun, and upon realizing that the boy's hair had fallen in front of his face during their scrambling act, beomgyu brushes it back without thinking. that one simple action seems to magnify the reality of just how close the three of them are laying. taehyun momentarily startles, but leans into the touch as beomgyu plays with his chestnut-colored locks of hair. the brunette looks contemplative for a moment, briefly staring into the distance until he turns back. taehyun settles into his new spot on the couch, where he's curled up besides beomgyu as yeonjun plays daintily with his fingers. taehyun meets their gaze, and then words are tumbling out of his mouth.

“we’re flirting, aren’t we?” taehyun asks. it’s a statement so impossibly blunt with that edge of softness, something so taehyun in nature.

yeonjun freezes, and he’s never more glad that beomgyu exists when the younger boy smoothly answers. “yeah, we are.”

“and...is this--does this, does it mean anything to you guys? like, you know…” taehyun trails off. the youngest’s eyes are wide again, lacking the hard, sarcastic mirth they usually gleam with. instead, they appear gentle and delicate around the edges, vulnerability present in taehyun's expression despite the rocksteady resolve that’s still there.

beomgyu glances at yeonjun, the two of them communicating that this was their chance. they had this conversation before, many times in fact, about how to approach taehyun about what they felt. they just didn't think it would be the younger boy initiating such a talk, figuring that taehyun would have no interest in doing so. the fact that he did makes electricity shoot through beomgyu's veins. yeonjun doesn’t let go of taehyun’s fingers, keeps playing gently with his hand, and beomgyu holds the youngest’s free one.

“yeah, yeah it does. taehyun, i really like you. we both do,” beomgyu starts.

he glances up at yeonjun, who continues. “we would like to date you…if you want, of course.”

that has taehyun looking up, hope shimmering in his eyes. “really? the both of you?”

fuck, that was adorable, yeonjun thinks before he's breathing out a reply. "yeah," he answers, and beomgyu is nodding in unison. "we both feel the same way about you, have for a long time."

"we just want you to be comfortable," beomgyu continues. "there's no pressure obviously but if you'd like to date us, we're open. we know it's not...conventional, i guess, but we really like you and would love to have you as a part of this."

"as a part of _us_ ," yeonjun supplies.

"yeah," beomgyu smiles at yeonjun, the first person he can say he's ever truly loved. his heart goes soft in the moment, because before he knows it, taehyun is replying.

"yeah," he starts, voice small but the smile on his face is distinct. "i'd like that, i'd really like that," taehyun finishes, eyes getting a bit misty. he blinks furiously, and yeonjun coos at the sight.

"ah, don't get emotional, yeonjun will start crying and then i will too," beomgyu playfully chides. he wipes at his own eyes just in case, something yeonjun and taehyun laugh at.

"we're glad to have you, taehyun. we can go at your pace, whatever you feel best with," yeonjun adds on.

"i think the three of us can figure something out," taehyun replies, a smiling blooming on his face, so wide that his chest kind of hurts. beomgyu and yeonjun's expressions grow to mirror that of the youngest.

"i definitely agree," beomgyu replies, holding on a little tighter to taehyun's left hand. he curls their fingers together.

"how about we go on a date tomorrow?" yeonjun asks after a moment, looking down at his boyfriends (plural now), who are both still laying with their heads in his lap. "i'll treat you two."

that earns a playful whoop from beomgyu, and taehyun releases a chuckle of his own. pretty soon, they're agreeing to a date for the next day at four in the afternoon, and the movie continues to play, but the three of them have all lost interest. they're kind of just staring at one another, in awe that the confessions worked out, and beomgyu decides that nothing could be a greater christmas present than this.

\--

everything goes swimmingly until after new years' day. winter break is still happening, giving the three of them ample time to go on countless dates together and overall just enjoy each other's company, but it also means that the shelters are re-opening. with that comes a problem, the dilemma of what to do with hobak. when contacting the shelter, they claimed to be overrun and taehyun was hesitant to give up his kitten to a building that lacked the adequate resources to care for him.

“i can’t do it,” taehyun remarks one evening, typing away furiously on his laptop. beomgyu, who is sitting next to him on a kitchen stool, draws out his sigh.

“taehyun--”

“i’m sorry, but i can’t. i can’t give him up to that shelter.”

“taehyun, listen--”

“they said that they don’t think he’ll be adopted anytime soon with their current line-up. i can’t let him just sit there for months, and we don't even know if his owners are going to be showing up.”

"taehyun!"

taehyun fists his hair in his hands, looking at the counter. he takes a long, drawn out breath in, and then speaks. "i'm sorry, gyu. i'm just stressed. go on, please."

beomgyu speaks softly, tone light. "as long as the shelter has no one looking for him, i think it's okay if you keep him. hobak loves you."

taehyun's smile is slightly strained. "yeah, well, i don't know what i'm going to do about the dorms."

"hobak can live hear with jun and i," beomgyu resolves.

"seriously?" taehyun perks up right away. "you'd do that?"

"why not?"

"you'd let him live here? for me?"

"taehyun, i would do anything for you," beomgyu says, serious as can be, and that has taehyun gaping like a fish.

"i don't know what to say...." taehyun trails off. "you're the best. i'm so grateful for you," he whispers, moving forward to press his lips to beomgyu's cheek.

beomgyu smiles dreamily at one of his two beloved boyfriends, being so fond of taehyun. gosh, he could have not asked for two better people to be in his life, and beomgyu felt so fortunate to get the chance to love them so openly. both kai and soobin had screamed with joy when they were informed of taehyun joining the relationship over separate facetime calls.

he giggles when the reality kind of sets in on him, cuddling up to taehyun as he asks "did i just agree to adopt a cat?"

"i think you did, gyu."

"god, the things i do for you. yeonjun will be ecstatic though. i think hobak is his favorite in this household," beomgyu finishes, and that sets taehyun off giggling. with their foreheads pressed together as they lay on the couch, beomgyu thinks that doing anything would be worth it if it just meant he would get to see taehyun looking this pleased all the time.

\--

hobak's owners never come forward (in the subsequent months, the vet informs taehyun one day that based on hobak's initial behavior, he may have been abused in some capacity during previous ownership. such a revelation horrifies taehyun so much that he doesn't let hobak go for an hour once he returns from that appointment). the cat then permanently moves into yeonjun and beomgyu's apartment, who still consider him to be taehyun's cat, as the youngest boy is always coming over to play with their adorable pet. not that they mind, because they revel in any chance to see their boyfriend. so much so that with time, yeonjun and beomgyu go into further discussion about making taehyun a permanent fixture in their household.

“move in with us in the fall,” yeonjun suggests one night, kissing taehyun’s forehead. the two are facing each other, lying in their bed. beomgyu is fast asleep on yeonjun’s other side.

taehyun freezes. "you sure?"

"yeah. gyu and i have talked about it. we were supposed to discuss it tonight and all, you know, after dinner but," yeonjun grins at beomgyu's sleeping figure. "he seemed to have other plans."

taehyun laughs, trying to muffle the sound with his sleeve to not wake his other boyfriend. "are you guys really sure?"

"yeah, taehyun, we want you here. we always have. you belong here, if you want to come."

"okay," taehyun whispers back through the darkness. "okay. i'll come live with you guys next year."

"for real?"

"yeah, yeonjun," taehyun echoes. "i'm honored that you'd guys let me live here. plus, i'm getting sick and tired of the dorms anyways, so..." taehyun trails off, laughing before he can finish his sentence.

"of course, hyun. just finish out this last semester and then you can move in. your cat is here anyways, it makes sense that you come too."

"i always miss hobak. now i'll get to see him every day," taehyun murmurs happily, eyes fluttering closed.

"you'll get bored of him within the first day," yeonjun laughs, kissing taehyun's nose. taehyun gasps at his cat being playfully insulted by the eldest, but can't seem to make himself open his eyes without straining them, so yeonjun waves him off. "go to bed, hyun."

"no," taehyun whines. "not sleepy."

"yes, you are."

"want to talk to you."

"i'll be here in the morning, you baby. night night," yeonjun answers, slinging an arm around the younger boy's waist. taehyun cuddles closer before he falls asleep, positioning himself against yeonjun's broad shoulders that he decides to use as a cushion. yeonjun can't help but chuckle, but after ten or so minutes, they both allow sleep to overcome them.

\--

beomgyu is cuddled up with the cat on his bed when taehyun enters the room, immediately flopping down next to the older boy.

“hi cherry,” beomgyu greets, ruffling taehyun’s newly red hair. taehyun just groans in fatigue, sinking down into the mattress as beomgyu pets his hair. “rough day?”

“i can not write this lesson plan for the life of me. my mind is blank and all i want to do is sleep for the next four centuries.”

“a little heavy on the dramatics, aren’t we cherry?”

taehyun shuffles closer to the older boy. “just cuddle me, dumbass.”

“i’m occupied with hobak right now.”

“i brought that cat into your life and this is the thanks i get? i hate men,” taehyun replies.

“yes, yes, we know. now, stop whining and just hug me you idiot,” beomgyu replies, tone filled with warmth. taehyun complies easily, wrapping himself around beomgyu like a koala of sorts, revealing to beomgyu with that action the magnitude of his exhaustion. hobak remains curled up on beomgyu’s chest, and taehyun ends up falling asleep in a matter of minutes, the poor boy was clearly burnt out from a long week of coursework.

beomgyu lies there, waiting yeonjun's return, when his throat gets itchy. see, beomgyu had never had a cat before hobak, so he doesn't know if he either developed an allergy in the last ten months or if he merely never noticed the fact that he was slightly allergic to cat fur. still, beomgyu loved hobak so much, and it wasn't until six months into having the cat when the allergy became a noticeable problem. beomgyu was immediately put on allergy medicine at his own request, unwilling to relinquish ownership of hobak. it was a process, but whenever beomgyu's sinuses were acting up, all he really had to do was just take some medicine, which he didn't mind. anything for this home of his.

when yeonjun walks into the bedroom, he finds beomgyu putting away his medicine in its designated cabinet, and taehyun sprawled out on the bed, fast asleep. he smiles through the kiss that beomgyu plants on his lips, and the two of them sit perched on top of the bed, careful not to disturb taehyun as they begin to play a game of mario kart on their tv (it's better like this, when the competitive duo could not yell at one another throughout the entire game, because they did not want to wake up the sleeping youngest). eventually, taehyun does rise, and the game quickly gets hectic when he joins in on the tournament. a bleary, freshly awake taehyun wins the first race he plays, to everyone's shock, and the redhead demands kisses as his prize. yeonjun and beomgyu are more than happy to comply, each pressing a kiss to the corner of his lips. when taehyun pouts, they kiss him properly. it's a point that keeps coming back, but beomgyu is continuously blown away just by how blessed he is to have the two most incredible boyfriends. he wouldn't trade this for the world, he really wouldn't. beomgyu happily accepts the allergies, stiff necks from trying to configure three people to fit in one queen bed, and higher grocery bills, because taehyun and yeonjun always compensate with kisses, ones that make his lips tingle and eyelashes flutter. ones that make his heart pound and cause his entire body to glow, filled with a sensation of warmth that was impossibly delightful.

even as hobak jumps on top of the bed, startling the trio before he settles in yeonjun's lap, beomgyu can't help but think that gosh, he really wouldn't have this any other way. while beomgyu doesn't necessary believe in perfection, he's absolutely sure that this is about as close as it gets.

**Author's Note:**

> i was incredibly appalled at the fact that only one taegyujun fic exists so i wrote my own. <3 sorry it's not the best but i'm just trying to give life to this tag for now, maybe i'll write another fic for this trio at another point in time! for now, i hope you enjoyed whatever this was. come chat with me in the comments if you so please, or go on twitter (@DECALCOMONlA, but the i in "monia" is a lowercase L) to do so. i really appreciate all the support and enthusiasm that i've gotten. reach out at anytime and let me know what you think!
> 
> p.s. i write mostly taejun fics so if you are suffering through the taejun drought like we all are, you can go check some of those out!


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